Making a difference

Dedicating your career to making a real difference in your community is what Felipe Moreno, Public Works Director at the City of Phoenix Department of Public Works, says drives him and his team of 1,100 employees to achieve excellence in their service to the people of Phoenix.

“We are a public customer-service driven department, and that’s really what I want to impress upon this department as I lead it,” he tells The CEO Magazine.

“We might not necessarily do the most glamorous work at times, but it truly is a way to make a difference in our community and to leave a lasting impact.”

The services the Department provides range from refuse and recycling for over 420,000 customers to the fleet management and maintenance of more than 7,800 fire trucks, garbage trucks, police cars and other equipment for the City of Phoenix.

“In our Facilities Management Division we also manage and maintain over 880 facilities across 480 locations in the city,” he explains.

“When something happens, we’re out there assisting; whether it’s in our core line of business or not, we’re the problem solvers and, as a department, we get things done.

“And while we can get really engulfed in the operational world of all the things we do, there’s a human side to it, too, in that what we do is essential to the public health and safety of our community.”

Dedication to service

Moreno says his people-centric approach to leadership was born from his previous career in social work.

“On completing grad school, I worked in a non-profit as a child and family therapist. I originally came to the City of Phoenix’s Human Services Department in the Head Start Program to work in education for preschoolers,” he explains.

Six year later, Moreno joined a year-long management internship program at the City of Phoenix, which gave him a wider understanding of public service, public administration and local government.

“After that, I really wanted to challenge myself to do something totally foreign to my background,” he says.

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“Working with the City of Phoenix is a pleasure for our team. From day one of implementation to everyday optimizations, the City shares our passion for making municipal operations more efficient and effective, with a sharp focus on saving taxpayer dollars and exceeding resident service expectations. Together we have achieved significant success through the digitization of the City’s waste operations.” – Tyler Molinaro, VP Sales, Routeware

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Inspired by this experience, Moreno has since gone on to build a 17-year career in public works.

“Working in an operating department was really intriguing to me, and I fell in love with public works and what we do,” he says. “I’ve worked my way up through the Department in various roles, and in 2023 I was selected to be the Public Works Director.”

In this role, Moreno says his focus has been on rebranding the Department and building upon the legacy of past leaders while also applying his unique people-focused approach to leadership.

“I’m focused on impressing upon the human side of what we do, so that every employee in the Department knows they’re important at every level,” he says. “We all have different roles, and together we provide essential and amazing services to the city of Phoenix.

“I like to ensure that our employees feel valued and engaged and understand that they truly make a difference in what we do here.”

A brighter future

The Department of Public Works is committed to meeting the City of Phoenix’s climate action goals to become a sustainable city.

“We share very ambitious climate action goals within solid waste, for example,” Moreno explains. “We’re looking to divert waste from our landfill to reduce our environmental footprint and finding creative ways and leveraging different resources to achieve this.

“We’re establishing local partnerships to better manage waste to establish a circular economy, looking toward greening our fleet and striving to be more energy efficient overall.”

He also says his priorities are also squarely set on ensuring improved safety for employees and the public.

“We do dangerous jobs, working with voltage, fleets and facilities, driving miles with heavy equipment and with solid waste,” he explains.

“So I’m focused on improving safety to ensure our employees never sacrifice safety over cutting corners or getting the job done quicker.”

Moreno highlights relationship building and trust as two important elements in leading the Department.

“Whether that’s building relationships with my employees, our mayor and council, labor groups, the private sector or our partners, we want to ensure we’re all working together, supporting one another and meeting our city’s goals.”

Partnerships are also essential in achieving these goals, he adds.

“Strategic partnerships are critical in helping move the city forward to get where we need to go,” he says. “We have to leverage others who are like-minded and have a similar vision of sustainability or innovation and efficiency, and when we find that synergy, we create a win–win for both sides.”

This is reflected in the Department’s partnership with Routeware SmartCity, which provides a fleet management software and technology suite to help municipalities and local governments run more efficient and sustainable operations for their waste and recycling fleets.

Purpose and vision 

Moreno’s people-centered leadership approach ensures all employees within the City of Phoenix Department of Public Services feel supported and are aligned with the importance of not only the work that they do, but for who they are.

“What sets us apart in this department is our people. We have very passionate employees who care about their work and understand why they’re important. They really take up the challenge to do what we need them to do when called upon, on top of our day-to-day business,” Moreno says.

“I always tell our employees that it’s not about us, it’s about the people we serve. Public sector work matters. You can make a difference. You can impact a community. You don’t have to go across the world to change it; you can do it right here in your own neighborhood.”